Eric smiled, his pulse still racing.
"She'll do it anyway," he murmured. "She's very persuasive."
Natasha stopped for a second before disappearing around the corner.
"I can see that," she said. "Runs in the family."
"Take care," she added. "Shining isn't easy."
Eric watched her walk away down the hallway.
"I wish it were," he murmured. "But I guess then it wouldn't be worth it."
As Natasha vanished around the corner, Eric felt something clear and dangerous take shape in his chest.
Expectation.
And for some reason… he liked it a lot.
After being given a few days off by Fury, Eric immediately decided to visit his new place.
The car moved smoothly along the road.
Eric sat in the back seat, staring out the window without really seeing the scenery. His reflection stared back at him, tired green eyes… but calm.
"I never thought I'd get paid vacation for almost erasing a spot off the map," he muttered.
"Believe me, there are agents who've asked for time off over much less."
The voice came from the front seat.
Eric blinked.
"Clint?"
Barton turned his head slightly, a crooked smile on his face.
"Relax. I'm only riding until the exit."
Eric let out a short laugh.
"Great. My first family visit escorted by SHIELD's best shot."
"Don't exaggerate," Clint replied. "I'm just the best shot on record."
The car merged onto the highway.
"So… Washington," Clint said. "New beginning for the Valerians."
Eric nodded.
The car slowed as it approached an exit.
"This is where I get off," Clint said. "Before this gets sentimental."
Eric looked at him seriously.
"Thanks for covering me back there."
Clint shrugged.
"You're my rookie. And you brought Stark back alive." He opened the door. "That earns you points."
Clint smiled, satisfied, and closed the door.
The car accelerated again, dropping Eric near the building.
He walked toward it, thinking about his parents and his sister.
He couldn't force his family to live hidden away in a forest somewhere. Clint was different, it was just his wife and kids.
But Eric couldn't ask his parents and Susana to disappear from the world.
That was why all information about his family had been wiped from SHIELD's records at his request.
Fury had understood his concern. After all, his power was terrifying.
So his family had been assigned housing in a highly restricted area, occupied only by government personnel.
Eric knew that was the most Fury could do, and he didn't blame him. He already had another plan forming in his mind to keep them safe, without depending on anyone but himself.
He took the stairs two at a time.
Knocked on the door.
One second.
Two.
The door flew open.
"ERIC!"
Susana launched herself at him like a badly calculated projectile.
"Hey! Careful!" Eric laughed, catching her before she fell. "Since when do you run this fast?"
"Since I'm strong," she replied seriously. "And because Mom said you were coming."
Susana hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek.
"Thanks for the house. The old place was bad for us, this one's nicer and cleaner, and I have the best view from my room."
Eric grinned.
"Did you practice that speech?"
Susana blinked.
"How did you know?"
Eric peppered her cheek with kisses.
"Like I wouldn't know you."
"Jajajaja!"
From behind her, his mother appeared, her hands trembling just a little.
"You're okay…?" she asked, more statement than question.
Eric nodded.
"I'm fine, Mom."
Elena hugged him without saying anything else.
Miguel Valerian watched from the back with his arms crossed, expression stern… until Eric looked at him.
"You made it," Miguel said.
"Yeah."
A second of silence.
Miguel stepped forward and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"I'm very proud of you. I never thought we'd leave chaotic Queens behind."
"Things are going to get better from now on," Eric said.
"Are you staying?" Susana asked, her eyes huge.
"A few days," he replied.
She smiled like she'd just been promised the world.
"Then you have to see my drawings," she ordered.
Eric laughed and set her down.
"That last part still negotiable."
Susana opened her sketchbook with solemn ceremony.
"That," she said, pointing proudly, "is Thor."
Eric tilted his head, studying it like a museum piece.
"Uh-huh."
The hammer looked like a potato.
The helmet had horns.
And Thor was shooting lightning out of his eyes.
"It's… powerful," Eric said carefully.
Susana crossed her arms, satisfied.
"And he wins," she added, waving her hands dramatically. "Because lightning is stronger than anything."
Eric felt personally offended by her understanding of physics.
"I'm not arguing physics with a five-year-old," he decided. "You win."
Susana smiled like someone who had just beaten an adult at chess without knowing how the pieces moved.
"Tomorrow I'll teach you how to draw properly," she declared.
"I await my artistic humiliation," Eric replied, amused, standing up.
Later, he stepped out onto the balcony.
His phone vibrated.
New message.
Nick Fury:
Enjoy your days off.
Eric smiled when he saw the second message.
Natasha:
Glad you got there safe.
Tell Susana I'm still cool.
Eric typed back a playful reply.
The new apartment wasn't big. Or luxurious.
It was… right.
A discreet building in Washington.
Eric walked into his room. There were three bedrooms total.
He froze in the doorway.
"…wow."
The room was simple but stylish. A wide bed with dark sheets.
A solid wooden desk.
A warm lamp, empty shelves, and a window overlooking a small park.
Eric closed his eyes for a moment, letting himself settle into the space.
Then he opened them again.
No visible cameras.
SHIELD had kept its word.
"Good taste, Fury," he murmured. "Or whoever decorated this."
He dropped his backpack on the floor and, almost reverently, pulled out his old laptop.
He placed it on the new desk.
The contrast was… violent.
A battered laptop with a chipped corner, faded stickers, and a fan that sounded like it was begging for early retirement… sitting on a magazine-worthy desk.
Eric looked at it.
"You're still with me, huh?" he said fondly. "I promised I wouldn't replace you."
The laptop answered with a threatening brrrrrrr.
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